What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
08/08/2023- Aircraft depart ful R24, departed right downwind. Upon leveling off at 2500 heading east pilot reported "yoke started to jackhammer back and forth (pitch)". Pilot turned back towards ful, attempted to contact tower, but due to violent pitching up and down inadvertently switched frequency, so squawked 7700. Unsure of the cause of the violent pitched pilot shutdown engine by pulling mixture and performed deadstick approach and landing on R24. Aircraft landed long and slid to a stop on R24, then taxied normally to parking.
Pilots hands were severely injured due to the majority of skin on both hands being peeled off due to the violent pitching of the yoke.
Aircraft was inspected along with a representative of the NTSB and it was determined that the bolt that attaches the trim tab control rod to the pitch trim tabs was missing, so either broke or fell out during flight. This allowed the trim tabs to go full up to full down which started the violent movement of the stabilator from full up to full down.
Damage to the aircraft includes both sides of the stabilator and trim tabs were bent and/or cracked, and both main tires had large flat spots from sliding to a stop on the runway.
As the FAA filed it
08/08/2023- AIRCRAFT DEPART FUL R24, DEPARTED RIGHT DOWNWIND. UPON LEVELING OFF AT 2500 HEADING EAST PILOT REPORTED "YOKE STARTED TO JACKHAMMER BACK AND FORTH (PITCH)". PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARDS FUL, ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TOWER, BUT DUE TO VIOLENT PITCHING UP AND DOWN INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED FREQUENCY, SO SQUAWKED 7700. UNSURE OF THE CAUSE OF THE VIOLENT PITCHED PILOT SHUTDOWN ENGINE BY PULLING MIXTURE AND PERFORMED DEADSTICK APPROACH AND LANDING ON R24. AIRCRAFT LANDED LONG AND SLID TO A STOP ON R24, THEN TAXIED NORMALLY TO PARKING.
PILOTS HANDS WERE SEVERELY INJURED DUE TO THE MAJORITY OF SKIN ON BOTH HANDS BEING PEELED OFF DUE TO THE VIOLENT PITCHING OF THE YOKE.
AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED ALONG WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NTSB AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE TRIM TAB CONTROL ROD TO THE PITCH TRIM TABS WAS MISSING, SO EITHER BROKE OR FELL OUT DURING FLIGHT. THIS ALLOWED THE TRIM TABS TO GO FULL UP TO FULL DOWN WHICH STARTED THE VIOLENT MOVEMENT OF THE STABILATOR FROM FULL UP TO FULL DOWN.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDES BOTH SIDES OF THE STABILATOR AND TRIM TABS WERE BENT AND/OR CRACKED, AND BOTH MAIN TIRES HAD LARGE FLAT SPOTS FROM SLIDING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.